Bangkok – One city, two faces

ILLUSTRATION CRISTÓBAL SCHMAL

Gigantic eating places, creepy museums, unicorn blessings: Bangkok is the capital of all things weird, whacky and wonderful. But the Thai metropolis also has sublime beauty in plentiful supply. We show you both sides.

FAIRY-TALE DELIGHT

Cutesy? Yes, please! If rainbow cake surrounded by a blessing (aka, herd) of pink plush unicorns is your idea of yummy, then head to the Unicorn Café.

SPECTACULAR

Sepak Takraw, popular in Bangkok and across Southeast Asia, is an outlandish combination of soccer, volleyball and acrobatics.

TRINITY

A monstrous, three-headed elephant statue weighing 250 tons looks down from the roof of the Erawan Museum, which exhibits antique Thai artworks and objects.

CURIOUS CURES

The Siriraj Medical Museum is not for the faint-hearted. The collection includes a mummified murderer and the skull and skeleton of the museum’s founder.

LOAVES AND FISHES?

Not necessarily, but the Royal Dragon, one of the world’s biggest restaurants, seating 5000, can pull off what was once a Biblical miracle on a daily basis.

REPTILIAN RESORT

At the Red Cross Snake Farm, visitors get the chance to learn how to milk snake venom and even let a mighty boa constrictor give them a great big hug.